This One Moment
by mindblower4729
Summary: They had very little moments together during their time in training. But they share one moment, even if it's short, to reflect on those that had been lost. Before the Disbanding, Friendship Armin/Annie.


**Day Three – Ephemeral**

**I should've probably put the themes in the last two stories, but I thought the titles pretty much described the stories for you.**

**As promised this story is shorter than the last two, the next one would most likely be another long one since it's a jealousy story. I will try to make it shorter for those of you who prefer short reads than long ones. If I can't, then I will try to make the story interesting enough to be bearable. The reason why I ended up making these stories longer than I expected is because I tend to go deep into the plot. That's probably why. **

**Also you guys might've noticed some typos, yeah, I'm still getting used to writing with my phone. But the laptop should be fixed soon. **

**Anyway, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Shingeki no Kyojin belongs to Hajime Isayama, I own nothing.**

[%]

Armin walked around the empty dormitory that was once the home to the male members of the 104th Trainee Squad. There were so many people who had offered their heart and body for humanity. Armin remembered the happy faces among the trainees, the times they spent with one another and surviving the three years of training. In a way, they had become a large family of sorts. The bonds developed between each recruit symbolized their entire platoon as a united whole.

And most of them were dead.

It had been days after the Breach and Restoration of Wall Rose. The number of people dead or wounded during the attack was too much despite the accomplishment that the soldiers and Eren had performed.

Armin had learned the true meaning of horror and terror when he faced the Titans for the first time. How powerless he truly was against those giant bastards with their sadistic faces and insatiable appetite for humans.

All that training, three years of blood and sweat poured out and this is what happens? Only a few of them had survived, the unlucky ones were either dead or too injured to be able to support humanity anymore.

He opened the door to the dorms and exited the building. Too many memories of good and bad during those three years, looking back at them, Armin knew that things will not be same as they used to be.

People were gone, they would have to split to the military factions they wish to be a part of, and they might not even be able to see one another after this.

Today, they had to decide where they were going to go.

The inspection of each soldier's gears had finished not long ago. The result was that they couldn't find the perpetrator who had killed the two Titans.

Despite the outcome, Armin could not help but feel something was off. His instincts were telling him something, something that he might've overlooked.

He didn't have time to ponder about that though. It was near the middle of the afternoon, soon he would have to head back and choose where he would go. Armin had his mind set for the Survey Corps. He knew that this was his decision.

He walked along the grounds of his former training camp when the door to girl's dormitory opened. Armin was surprised to see who had exited.

"Annie?"

The shorter blonde's eyes widened at the sudden voice that called out to her. She turned to his direction, surprised as Armin.

"Armin? What are you doing here?" she asked, rather loudly.

Armin stood at his spot as Annie closed the door behind her and walked up to him.

"I was just going through the dormitory." He explained.

Annie looked at him in confusion, "Why?"

Armin shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I wanted to pay my respects in my own way."

Annie still didn't understand.

Armin put his hands behind his head, "This place was, in a way, our home. The people that we lived and trained alongside, the memories of it all, originated from this place. And a lot of us didn't make it. I guess you can say that I want to remember all that we have done. The memories of our dreams and ambitions, I want to fuel all of those memories of our friends and put it to good use. I don't want their deaths to be forgotten. In their place, I will do what I can, and help humanity's fight against the Titans."

Annie's eyes lifted a little, this boy in front of her had a great deal of ambition and determination. Something that will benefit him when he joins the Survey Corps. It might even save him, give him the will to fight on.

Armin gave her an awkward smile, "Sorry, I guess I gotten a little passionate."

Annie shook her head, "Don't say that. I like what you are doing. You choose to remember everything and use it to your benefits. Not everybody would have the stomach to swallow all that had happened to them."

Armin smiled, "Thank you."

Annie averted her eyes from his smile. Her eyes focusing on the girl's dormitory. Armin could see that Annie had a look of deep thought in her eyes. He wondered what she was thinking of, but he had a different question in mind.

"What about you, Annie? Why did you come here?" he asked.

Annie didn't answer him. Her gaze remained at the dorm. Armin wondered if she had left something back at her dorm, but then the realization came to him that most of them didn't have a lot of belongings when they first came here, so the initial thought seemed unlikely.

"Mina." She simply said.

Armin looked at her with a blank look. It took a moment before the word sunk in.

Mina Carolina, the black-haired girl that had died in his squad during the evacuation of Wall Rose. Like Thomas, Mina had a lot of spirit and wanted to follow Eren and Armin into the Survey Corps. And she was gone, along with the rest of his squad. They barely lasted a minute in battle against the Titans.

Armin also remembered that Mina used to sit with Annie during mealtimes. So the two of them must've been friends.

"I... I didn't have a lot of friends back in the day of our training. Nobody wanted to approach me, probably because I scared them. But Mina thought otherwise, and she decided to spend time with me. I didn't really talk much to her or did I want to grow attached to anyone, but as the time together passed by, Mina made me think of others. I never really told her that, and before I knew it, I actually cared about the recruits. Some of them, I cared deeply for." Annie's eyes looked down a little, a bit of sadness in them, "And now she's gone."

Armin's eyes mirrored hers. So they were both doing the same thing, remembering the people that were once with them until their demise.

Armin put on his smile, "I think she knows that you valued her friendship, you two spent time with one another and you didn't mind. I think see knew that you were a good person to her."

Annie looked at him with wide eyes. Armin's smile remained on his face, the sincerity and honesty in his voice when he reassured took her off guard.

_Did he really think she was a good person?_

The sound of the bell ringing can be heard from the distance, an indication that a period of time had passed.

Armin and Annie looked to the direction of source. The bell had rung from the location where they were to suppose to meet for their division.

Their time together was almost up.

Annie's face turned back to its blank form, "We should head back."

Armin nodded, "Right."

Annie turned around and started walking ahead, Armin followed her. She stopped momentarily and turned to Armin.

"Thank you."

Armin stopped as well, his eyes looking confused, "Huh?"

"Thank you, for sharing this moment with me." Annie said, "I'm... glad to have the chance to talk with you."

And Armin understood. Their time together was soon over, and then they would go their separate ways. She would go to the Military Police, and he would join the Survey Corps. They didn't know when they would see each other again. But at least they took this one moment, to talk and share with one another.

"Anytime, Annie." Armin answered.


End file.
